Blog

• truth
• Who Has Last Word
• freedom

Freedom is found through Truth while lies enslave and entrap.

“My son got diabetes and died from complications of the disease because God was punishing me for marrying a non-Christian... I’ve made so many bad decisions in my life that there is no way God wants to hear from me. I feel like I can’t talk to Him because I know He won’t listen to me.”

This was not a statement I expected to hear from a seventy-two year old woman, one who had been a Christian for years, but who was letting Satan have the last word.

Humbled by the scenario before me, I thanked God for the opportunity to speak words of truth and freedom into this sister’s life. She had been living her entire life entrapped by Satan’s lies, burdened by guilt.

I began, “You have three grown children, right?” A loving glimmer filled her eyes and she responded in the affirmative.

“And, even today, when one of your kids is in trouble or has done something wrong, do you want them to avoid you or come to you so that you can comfort them, advise them, and show them love?”

“Well, of course I want them to come to me!”

“And do you think that our loving Heavenly Father is any different when one of His children messes up? Don’t you think He longs to comfort us, advise us, and shower us with His love?”

“I’ve never thought of it that way before...”

The following Sunday, upon greeting my friend, her face was one of peace and she looked as if she had lost 100 pounds off her already small frame. The joy stemming from her newfound freedom was unquenchable. She had embraced the truth of God’s abounding love, giving Him the last word in her life.

Satan wants to rob us of the abundant life Christ offers (John 10:10), but there is hope for redemption, freedom, forgiveness, and even a clean conscience! Shame and guilt do not have to define our lives and our relationships.

Satan creates a negative filter through which we see our actions and decisions. We become focused on our sin and unworthiness instead of the grace and forgiveness that God offers.

Even if we have intellectually accepted God’s forgiveness, it can be hard to forgive ourselves, especially on an emotional level. The shame we feel from our past sins overshadows the cleansing power of God’s grace.

God’s forgiveness is real and redeeming. When He buys us back, the slate is washed clean. We are able to start anew.

“ ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool’” (Isa. 1:18).

Taken from Chapter 10 of Who Has the Last Word? Cutting through Satan’s Lies with the Truth of God’s Word. We invite you to gather with a group of women to walk together toward freedom—true freedom that is only found through Truth. Even today, you can take advantage of the invitation to freedom through the Lie/Truth Chart: Recognizing the Lie, Replacing the Lie with Truth and Remembering the Truth through a specific Bible verse.

• guest writer
• truth
• testimony
• freedom

Restored and Reunited through True Freedom
Written by Mimi Massengill
John 3:17 Resident, Graduating July 14, 2019

It’s a Saturday morning at a rural church in Remmel, Arkansas... as the membership begins to arrive, something heavenly happens. It’s 10am, and Poppie’s Bible Study has dismissed. In the foyer of the church, we find husbands and children waiting for their wives and moms. We find mothers and fathers waiting for their daughters. We find families patiently waiting for their loved ones.

As the forty extraordinary women of John 3:17 Ministry file into the sanctuary, the love of our Holy Father begins to fill the room. The church members offer hugs and encouragement to each lady as they cross paths. We get to witness this magnificent gift from our Lord. These women received a redemption they could not afford. They come from all over: Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida—all seeking a cure for their lives of addiction and sin. John 3:17 and the Remmel Church provide a safe environment for women, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Birdy is just coming out of her 30-day “Black-Out.” She hasn’t seen or spoken to her children since she came for her interview. At breakfast that morning, she exclaims to me across the room that her daughter is coming this morning! As we all walk into the foyer, I see Birdy’s family as she runs to hug her two-year-old daughter, Mary Lou. She is accompanied by her Aunt Janna, cousin, Hunter, sister, Daisy, and Miss Stacy.

The tears begin to flow from everyone who witnesses this sweet reunion. The family enjoyed their visit playing outside, and by the time the visit was over, Birdy felt a supernatural sense of strength and peace. She knew the Lord was carrying her and her family.

Stories like Birdy’s take place all the time at John 3:17. God doesn’t just restore families here though. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He restores our spiritual gifts and allows us to be vessels for His great purpose. Any one of the residents could tell you a story about how Satan controlled their lives, but God picked them up from out of the pit and set their feet on a firm foundation.

And from that firm foundation, we find rest. We have been running from Satan for so long, and finally surrendered our lives and wills to Jesus Christ. It’s by the power of His resurrection that we find the strength to keep going. We thank God for His great work in and through John 3:17 Ministry. He clocks in for work and He never clocks out! May the Lord bless and keep you all!

Mimi Massengill

John 3:17 Ministry is a Homeless/Recovery Center for women in Jackson County, Arkansas.

Description from John 3:17 Website: The scripture from John 3:17 describes the goal of this ministry, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Neither do we condemn you. Every person working with this ministry has either suffered personally with an addiction or has a close family member who has. We have witnessed God through Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit to set individuals free.

We also know that addictions cause confusion and disorder. But God came to bring order out of chaos, and He will use John317 as one avenue through which individuals can get the help and deliverance they need.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #John317ministry